Ferrari Boss: No Electric Prancing Horses, But Hybrids Are OK

Ferrari Boss: No Electric Prancing Horses, But Hybrids Are OK

Ferrari has been making super-fast, super-sexy sports cars for over 80 years. But just as it won’t ever be making a four-door coupe, the firm won’t be switching roaring gasoline engines for the quiet hum of an electric motor any time soon.

In fact, talking to engadget on Friday, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo firmly asserted that all-electric drivetrains have no place in the Ferrari stables.

Ever.

“You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars,” Montezemelo said “I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment”

Montezemelo’s unequivocal insistence is hardly surprising. After all, Ferrari is known for being an automaker which does not follow the rest of the auto industry.

Passionate, testosterone filled and dare we say it, slightly arrogant, Ferrari isn’t about to have an industry tell it what the customer wants.

As far as Ferrari is concerned, making an electric Ferrari would turn its cars and its customers from mighty stallions into gelded hacks.

Hybrids are a different matter however.

Ferrari hybrid patent

“We are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari,” insisted Montezemelo. “this should be in the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it”

In other words, electric motors are fine - as long as they are married to a feisty flat 12.

And while we’ve heard lots of rumors in the past that Ferrari was thinking about going green with hybrid drivetrains, we’ve yet to see one offered for sale.

If it is produced, any hybrid Ferrari is likely to inherit the HY-KERS technology from its Formula 1 cars - which - despite protests from F1 television rights boss Bernie Ecclestone - will have to operate on all-electric mode in the pit lane by 2014.

Montezemelo’s attitude to purely electric cars is particularly disappointing when its european competitors Audi,Mercedes-Benz, and even Porsche are all working on electric performance cars with super-car performance.

Is Ferrari getting left behind? Will it get put out to pasture? Let us know in the Comments below.